The present invention relates to a device to improve the safety and stability of a chair, for example, a lightweight lawn or beach chair. The invention particularly relates to a stabilizing device for attachment to the base of a chair to prevent sinking in sand or tipping over in sand or uneven surfaces.
The most common type of lawn or beach chair is fabricated with a lightweight, rigid tubular frame, for example, of aluminum or polymeric material, bent and fastened together to provide the legs, seat, back, and, optionally, arm support portions of the chair. The length of the leg portions of the frame may be sufficient for a full height chair or in, e.g., a so-called sand chair, may seat the user quite close to ground level. The back portion of the frame may be in a fixed upright position or it may be positionable at any of several positions from reclining to fully upright. In some designs, commonly termed a chaise longue or lounge chair, the back position is adjustable from upright to horizontal or near-horizontal and an extension is added to the front of the seat portion to provide a leg rest. Most commonly, fabric panels or tubular or fabric webbing, typically of a polymeric material, is stretched, woven, or laced across the seat, back, and, optionally, leg rest portions of the tubing frame to support the seated user. In the most typical designs of chairs of this type, the tubular frame is hinged to permit folding of the chair or chaise longue into a flat profile for portability and storage.
The light weight, comfort, portability, and versatility of these chairs have resulted in widespread use. In particular, their light weight and portability have resulted in great popularity among the elderly and infirm, who may use the chairs indoors as well as outdoors. However, their light weight and foldability can also present a safety hazard, that of being easily tipped over, e.g., sideways. The problem is exacerbated when the chair is resting on deep sand or uneven surfaces. In particular, elderly and infirm users often lean heavily on one arm of a chair to assist them in getting into or getting out of the chair. This can lead to tipping over of the chair, causing to the user to fall and become injured.
It would be desirable to have a way to stabilize such chairs to increase their safety without adding unnecessarily to their weight or interfering with their foldability and portability. The device described herein was developed to address that need.